Booth's Note to Johnson

[RJNorton]

(01-11-2015 07:13 PM)Craig Hipkins Wrote:  Browning initially believed that the note was meant for him, but later came to believe that it was meant for Johnson. There has been a lot of speculation about this enigmatic note since it came to light a century and a half ago. What do the members of this forum think? Was the note directed at Johnson? Or was it meant for Browning? Also, wouldn't Johnson have had a mail box at the Kirkwood? Or did all his mail go through his secretary first?

Hi Craig. Historians speculate about this note, and as far as I know, there is no absolute certainty about its purpose or to whom it was intended. I can tell you that Johnson and Browning had separate boxes at the Kirkwood House. Browning's was #67, and Johnson's was #68. Thus, it's conceivable a note intended for one could have mistakenly been put in the other's box. I do not know if this happened with Booth's message. My best guess is that Booth was trying to somehow determine if Johnson would be in that night so Atzerodt (or possibly Herold) would have easy access to him. Paige mentioned Art Loux's book, and I agree with what Art wrote.